Thread: How many people do true ATG on the upper lip?

I don't shave anywhere ATG. I "cold" shave and WTG is all I need for a smooth shave. I saw a barber showing how to shave and at the end he said not to go against the grain. His reasoning was you only want a comfortable shave because you're going to have to do it again tomorrow!

Good BBS results can come from XTG or near ATG passes. Certain areas of the face may be able to handle a precision ATG pass, but others don't, but will take a near ATG pass and give a great result.

After my near ATG pass on the upper lip, if I try a precision ATG pass, it doesn't produce a better result.

Everyone is different and you just need to find your comfort zone.

Pabster

ATG works for me on cheeks and neck. My upper lip area has the most dense and hard growth of any place on my face. Also, I hadn't shaved that area for 40 years or so, having grown a mustache at an early age and only shaved it off this summer.

I haven't tried ATG on there yet, but I eventually will. For now, two strokes are working well for me.

First, kind of a diagonal to WTG. I use the toe of the razor, and starting right under my septum at the top, I shave toward the corner of my mouth, which is about 45 degrees to the grain. Then I go XTG from the center of the mustache area straight out. The results so far have been at least B+/A-. I do plan to start going ATG with it, but as a fairly new straight shaver I'm taking my learning in stages!

Like Frankenstein, I don't know why there is so much talk against ATG passes. Admittedly, some people might have skin that won't tolerate it. But my skin is somewhat sensitive, and I find with a well sharpened razor and laying the razor almost flat, and stretching the skin really tight, it works very well for me and gives the smoothness that brought me to the straight razor in the first place.

All WTG and no ATG makes Homer something something...

ATG upper lip was always my ultimate test for blade sharpness. Some razors made the cut, others didn't. But it was the only way I could get BBS there.

No matter how sharp the blade, though, I had to preface an ATG pass with WTG, then two XTG, then 2 passes about 20 degrees off true ATG. It took forever.

Then I grew a goatee. Now my morning shave takes 20 minutes instead of 50 because all my "problem areas" have been eliminated, but I do miss not having my ultimate test for sharpness. Seems like most any blade does the job now, though I am beginning to get a feel for relative sharpness by checking onder my chin, below my jawline, etc.

I'd still probably ditch the goatee, except I've gotten dozens of comments from the other sex, all very, very positive. Yeah, I'm easy.